Get with the (green bin) program!

Katherine Ross-Perron

The green bin program is the biggest step forward in residential waste diversion since blue box recycling began.

About one-third of your household garbage is organic material (food waste and yard waste), material that can be processed into compost for use on parks, farms and gardens instead of being sent to landfill.

Participating in the green bin program is easy. Simply line your kitchen container with a certified compostable liner bag or paper bag. Empty your food waste directly into the liner bag. When the bag is full, tie it up and place it in your curbside green bin.

For starters, I often hear people complain about the “yuck” factor. Food waste is the same material you have been throwing into your garbage bag for years. The only difference is, instead of throwing it into the garbage, food waste is thrown into the green bin. This really isn’t that drastic a change. And besides, the green bin is collected weekly while your garbage is only collected every two weeks. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want food waste sitting in my garbage for two weeks during the hot summer months.

Another concern we sometimes hear about is the cost of compostable liner bags. This cost can be offset by buying fewer big garbage bags. Like everything else, shop around and compare prices as they will vary considerably between stores and brands. You can also use newspaper to wrap your food waste. It’s just as effective and best of all, free. Check out our website durham.ca/greenbin for a great origami folding project to line your green bin.

Not participating? Get with the program. It’s really not that difficult to do and now is the best time to get started.

Need a new or replacement green bin? Contact the waste management call centre at waste@durham.ca or 1-800-667-5671.

— Katherine Ross-Perron is a waste management technician with the Region of Durham.